Apparatus for photographically recording documents



April 4, 1939- w. s. NIVISON 1=:r AL 2,153,154

APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHICALLY RECORDING DOCUMENTS Filed Sept. 1, 1957 FIG]. FIG.3.

Wade S.Nivison Joseph R.Putlock INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 4, 1939 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHTGALLY RE- CORDING DOCUMENTS Wade s; Nivison' and Joseph 1:. Putlock, New

York, N. 2., assignors to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 1, 1937, Serial new 5 claims. (on. z'u-s) The present invention relates to an apparatus for photographically recording documents of different types, and particularly to an arrangement for automatically moving these different documents through the photographic field of a camera so as to be photographed thereby, and finally discharging the different documents through spaced exits to separate places of disposal.

An object of the invention is the provision in an apparatus of this class of an arrangement for delivering the different types of photographed documents to separate places.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a double set of guide wires to hold the document in engagement with the drum while passing through the photographic field of the camera, the sets of wires then diverging to provide spaced exits through which the different documents are separately discharged.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such an arrangement which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and highly effective in'use.

. To these and other ends, the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a portion of a document-photographing apparatus constructed in accordance with the preferred embodimentof the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the arrangement for holding and guiding a thick or relatively bulky document during the passing 1 thereof through the photographic field of the camera.

Fig. 3,is a fragmentary plan view, with parts in section, taken substantially on line 3-45 of Fig. l but on a slightly smaller scale, showing the arrangement of the pressure rollers for holding the documents against the drum.

Similar reference numerals throughout the various views indicate the same part.

The present invention relates to a machine for .photographically recording documents, and is particularly designed for use in savings banks, or institutions of a similar nature. Each time a depositor makes a deposit in a bank of this class, he presents his pass book together with a deposit slip, as well as all money, checks, etc., which make up the deposit. An entry is then made in the pass book and on the bank ledger sheet of the date and amountof such deposit.

In order that. the bank may have a complete record of the transaction, all of the documents are photographically recorded. After being thus recorded, the pass book is returned to the depositor, while the ledger sheet, checks, etc. are retained by the bank. In order to eliminate unnecessary handling, the present invention provides an arrangement whereby the pass book and the bank records are separately fed through the machine, photographed, then automatically discharged to separate places, accessible to the parties interested. By means of such an arrangement, the pass book is automatically returned to the depositor while the other records are retained by the bank. The operation is automatic, and all the bank employee has to do is to feed the documents to the proper feed hop-- pers or entrances.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a documentphotographing apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention. This apparatus comprises, in general, a machine housing, indicated by the numeral II, in which is journalled a shaft I! which carries the retating or feeding drum l3. This drum is of metal and is preferably covered with a layer of soft material 14, such as cork or rubber. The drum is arranged to feed or convey the documents, in a manner hereinafter described, through the photographic field of a camera, not shown, which is positioned to the right of the drum It, as viewed in the drawing. The camera is connected, and operated in time relation to the rotation of the drum I3, in a manner clearly shown and described in the patent to C. J. Hughey, No. 1,976,346, dated October 9, 1934. Only so much of the machine as pertains to the present invention is shown inthe present application. a

In order to hold the various documents against the drum l3 during the passage thereof through the photographic field of the camera, the present invention provides two sets of tightly-strung guide wires 20 and 2|, the purposes of which will be more fully described later. The inner set of wires 20 rides, for the most part, in circumferential grooves 22 formed in the periphery of the drum I 3, and extend substantially half-way around the latter. The outer set of wires 2|,

,on the other hand, ride on the surface of the covering 54 and terminate short ofthe lower end of the wires, 20, as clearly shown in the drawing. The upper end of the wires 20 and 2| are secured, in any suitable manner, to shafts or rods 23 and 24, respectively, which extend the the full *widthdfthe drum" andhas the ends thereof bent downwardly to form lugs 23, by which the plate is secured to the opposite side walls of machine housingtilit flliellowerends of the lower front face of drum l3. The opposite ends of the shaft 33a are resiliently supported by leaf springs 3|, only one of whichis' slidwn, the other ends 32 of which are secureds to the under side of a plate 33 e' ending across the machine. The ends of the pl e 33 are bent downwardly to form lugs 34, by which the plate may be secured to the opposite sides of the machine housing. The plate 33 is formed with a plurality of openings or slots, not shown, in which the hook ends 33 of the wires 2| are secured, in a manner well known to those in the art. The rigid portion 25 and the spring-pressed pulleys 33 positively re-- tain the guide wires 23 and 2|, in engagement with the drum l3, as will be apparent from an inspection of the drawing. The guide wires are tightly drawn or tensioned by means of coil springs 36 which, in the preferred embodiment, are formedfrom the material of the wires themselves. It is contemplated, however, that separate coil springs may be used, without departe ment from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Pressure rollers 31 and 31a are rotatably mounted on the shaft 33a intermediate the grooved pulleys 33, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The periphery of the rollers are knurled or roughened, as shown at 38, Fig. 3, so as to firmly engage the documents to securely hold the latter against the drum l3, so as to be advanced thereby. The springs 3| yleldably hold the rollers in engagement with the drum when a document is not passing through the machine. When, however, a document is fed by the drum I3, the document engages the rollers 31 and 31a to move them slightly, againstthe action of the springs 3|, so that the documentmay pass between the drum and the rollers.

I The knurled surfaces of the rollers then engage the document and prevent slippage thereof on the drum. Each of the two rollers 31 is provided with a circumferential groove 33, in which one of the wires 23 is recessed when bulky or thick documents are fed through the machine, as illustrated in Fig. 2 and laterdescribed. While only two grooved rollers 31 are shown in the present embodiment, it is contemplated that a third roller of this type may be used,

if desired, in case the entire surface of the drum is to be used. Such additional roller would obviously also be provided with a groove to receive the remaining guide wire 23. In connection with savings banks, however, the arrangement shown has been found to be adequate.

Referring now tothe drawing, and particularly to Fig.1, it is apparent that the guide wires 23,

cooperate withthe drum iii to provide a lower exit or discharge opening 43 which is directed to the left. 'Iliesets of guide wires 23 and 2|, on the-other hand, cooperate to provide a divergent downwardly discharge opening or exit ii.

This plate extends estendiaieress It is thus evident that, if the domiment is fed to the drum between the latter and the guide wires 23, the document will be discharged to the left "through the "exit or discharge opening tit. as shown in 42, Fig; 1. If, on the other hand, a document is fed between the two sets of guide wires 23 and 2|, it will be discharged downwardly through the exit as shown in 43, Fig. 1. However, as the documents pass through the machine, the curved rigid portion 23 and grooved pulleys 33 permit the free passage of the documents through the machine. Yet these members positively press or hold the guide wires 23 and 2| in engagement, with the drum l3 to securely hold the documents thereagalnst, as will be apparent from an inspection of the drawing. These two sets of guide wires thus provide separate paths by which the different types of documents may exits.

As the pass book, generally indicated by the numeral 45, Fig. 2, is somewhat thicker than the ledger sheet or check, it is preferably fed to the drum between the latter and the inner set of guide wires 23, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. In this position, both sets of guide wires 23 and 2! engage the pass book 45 to yieldably hold the latter against the drum during the passing thereof through the photographic field of the camera. Two of the wires 23 are, however, recessed in the grooves 33 of the rollers 31. so that the roughened surfaces 33 thereof may project between curely hold the latter against the drum so as to prevent slippage and to assist-in conveying the pass book through the machine. After the pass book has been photographed, it is guided solely by the guide wires 23 to the discharge exit 43, from whence it is directed to a suitable place, not shown, from which the depositor may recover his pass book. A suitable feeding hopper or entrance 43 is provided for feeding the pass book under the guide wires 23. Thethinner ledger sheets orchecks, on the other hand, are fed through a separate hopper or feeding entrance l8, and between the guide wires 23 and 2!, as shown at 43, F18. 1. These ledger sheets and checks then pass through the photographic field of the camera to be photographed and are then discharged downward through the exit 4| to a suitable locked container, not shown, positioned in the bottom of the machine and accessible only to the proper bank employees. During the passage of the ledger sheets and checks through the" machine, they are held in engagement with the drum l3, solely by the guide wires 2|, as will be apparent from an inspection of the drawing.

It is thus apparent, from the. above description,

that the present invention provides an arrangement for separately feeding diiferent types of documents to aphotographic reproducing apparatus, separately conveying these documents against the drumduring its travels through the 75 photographic field of the camera. When, however, thinner or lighter documents are conveyed, through the machine, only one set of guide wires are utilized to hold the document against the drum.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the general idea may be carried out in a numberof ways. This application is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to cover all variations or modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for photographically record ing documents comprising, in combination, a housing, a rotating drum mounted in said housing for advancing different types of documents through the photographic field of a camera so as to be photographed thereby, sets of stationary guide wires extending over the periphery of said drum to hold said documents in engagement therewith during the passage through said field, said sets defining separate paths for said documents, means for securing the ends of said wires to said housing, means secured to certain of said ends for separately tensioning said sets, separate feeding entrances for said paths, and spaced exits for separately discharging documents from said paths in diiferent directions.

2. In an apparatus for photographically recording documents comprising, in combination, a rotating drum for advancing different types of documents through the photographic field oi a camera so as to be photographed thereby, sets of stationary guide wires extending over the periphery of said drum to hold said documents in engagementtherewith during the passage through said field, said sets defining separate paths for said documents, means formed from said wires for separately tensioning said sets, means for posiing around said drum a substantial distance beyond said field, means formed from the material or said wires for tensioning the latter,.stationary means for securely maintaining said wires in position in said grooves, a second set of fixed'guide wires extending over the periphery of said drum, means integral with said second set for tensioning the latter, means for resiliently retaining said second set in engagement with said periphery, a feeding entrance for feeding a document between said drum and said first set so as to be carried by said drum through said field, said second set cooperating with said first set to hold said last mentioned document in engagement with. said drum during the passage through said field, a feeding entrance for feeding a different document between said sets so as to be carried by said drum through said field, and spaced exits formed by said sets of wires for separately discharging said documents in different directions.

4. In an apparatus for photographically recording documents comprising, in combination, a housing, a rotating drum mounted in said housing for advancing different types of documents through the photographic field of a camera so as to be photographed thereby, sets of guide wires extending over the periphery of said drum to hold said documents in engagement therewith during the passage through said field, means for separateiy securing the ends of each set to said housing, said sets defining separate paths for said documents. yieldable means adapted to engage said documents and to cooperate with said sets to securely hold said documents in engagement with said drum, separate feeding entrances for said paths, and spaced exits for separately discharging said documents from said paths in different directions.

5. In an apparatus for photographically recording documents comprising, in combination, a housing, a drum rotatably mounted in said housing and arranged to advance documents through the photographic field of a camera so as to be photographed thereby, said drum having a plurality of circumferential grooves, a set of fixed 'guide wires positioned in said grooves and extending around said drum a substantial distance beyond said field, means for anchoring the ends of said wires to said housing, means formed on one end of each Wire for tensioning the latter, means fixed to said housing for maintaining said wires in position in said grooves, a second set of fixed guide wires extending over the periphery of said drum, means integral with said second set for tensioning the latter, grooved guides for maintaining said second set in engagement with said periphery, a pressure roller adapted to engage said document and cooperating with said sets to securely hold said document in engagement with said drum, a resiliently mounted support on said housing for said guides and ,said pressure roller, a feeding entrance for feeding a document between said drum and said first set, so as to be carried by said drum ti ough said field, said second set cooperating with said first set to hold said last-mentioned document in engagement with said drum during the passage through said field, a feeding entrance for feeding a different document between said sets so as to be carried by said drum through said field, and spaced exits formed by said sets for separately discharging said documents in different directions.

- WADE S. NIVISON.

JOSEPH R. PUTLOCK. 

